Festival Special Trains October 2026: Dasara to Chhath

Festival Special Trains 2026: Dasara, Diwali and Chhath Specials Announced So Far, Route by Route

Going home for Dasara, Diwali or Chhath? Here are the festival special trains announced so far in 2026: Indian Railways' 102 festival specials, the Varanasi-Delhi and Ayodhya Cantt-Anand Vihar runs, SCR's 34 Dasara-Bathukamma services and the Charlapalli-Sengottai and Charlapalli-Prayagraj specials. Every item sourced and dated.

Quick answer (as of 9 October 2026): Indian Railways has announced 102 festival special services for Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath. Route-level specials reported so far include the Varanasi-Delhi Reserved Special (04209/04210), the Ayodhya Cantt-Anand Vihar Terminal Special (04213/04214), Chandigarh-Patna and Firozpur Cantt-Patna specials, SCR's 34 Dasara-Bathukamma specials between Secunderabad and Sirpur Kagaznagar (9 to 25 October), and weekly Charlapalli-Sengottai and Charlapalli-Prayagraj specials. Check IRCTC and NTES for timings before you travel.

For millions of families, the festival season starts with a train ticket. Dasara falls on Tuesday 20 October, Dhanteras on Friday 6 November and Diwali on Sunday 8 November 2026 (Drik Panchang), with Chhath following Diwali, and regular trains on the busiest routes fill up weeks in advance. Special trains are the railways' answer. This page lists only what has been announced and reported, with the train numbers and run dates exactly as given by the source, so you know what to look for when you open IRCTC.

At a glance: festival special trains 2026

Route	Train no.	Run period	Services	Source
Delhi-area terminals to Bihar, UP and other states (multiple routes)	Not listed	Festival season	102 services	Swarajya, 16 Sep
Varanasi-Delhi Reserved Special	04209/04210	2 Oct to 28 Nov	50 trips	The Daily Jagran, 28 Sep
Ayodhya Cantt-Anand Vihar Terminal Special	04213/04214	1 Oct to 30 Nov	36 trips	The Daily Jagran, 28 Sep
Chandigarh-Patna	04512/04511	Not stated	18 trips	The Daily Jagran, 28 Sep
Firozpur Cantt-Patna	04616/04615	Not stated	16 trips	The Daily Jagran, 28 Sep
Secunderabad-Sirpur Kagaznagar / Sirpur Kagaznagar-Hyderabad	07711/07712	9 to 25 Oct	34 services	Asianet News Telugu, 9 Oct
Charlapalli-Sengottai (weekly)	07191/07192	2 Oct to 28 Nov	18 services	Native Planet, 22 Sep
Charlapalli-Prayagraj (weekly)	04122/04121	28 Sep to 1 Dec	20 services	Native Planet, 22 Sep

Indian Railways: 102 festival special services

Status: official. Indian Railways has announced more than 100 festival special trains, counted as 102 services across both directions, for Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath. Routes include services from Anand Vihar Terminal, New Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin and Delhi Junction to Patna, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Jogbani and Kanpur. They also link metros with Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh (Source: Swarajya, 16 September 2026).

The report did not list individual train numbers for every route. If you are travelling from Delhi to Bihar, search IRCTC for your origin and destination and filter for special trains; specials usually carry numbers beginning with 0, as all the train numbers reported on this page do.

Varanasi-Delhi and Ayodhya Cantt-Anand Vihar specials

Status: official. The Varanasi-Delhi Reserved Special (04209/04210) will run 50 trips between 2 October and 28 November. The Ayodhya Cantt-Anand Vihar Terminal Special (04213/04214) will run 36 trips between 1 October and 30 November (Source: The Daily Jagran, 28 September 2026).

Both cover the full Diwali and Chhath window. The Ayodhya service is worth noting for pilgrims heading to the city for Deepotsav, which the Uttar Pradesh government has announced for 7 November; see our October 2026 festival news round-up for the Deepotsav details.

Chandigarh-Patna and Firozpur Cantt-Patna specials

Status: official. The same announcement listed the Chandigarh-Patna (04512/04511) and Firozpur Cantt-Patna (04616/04615) specials, with 18 and 16 trips respectively (Source: The Daily Jagran, 28 September 2026). Run dates for these two were not stated in the report, so check IRCTC for the days of operation. These routes serve families from Punjab and Chandigarh travelling home to Bihar for Chhath; see our Chhath Puja 2026 guide for the festival dates and arghya timings.

SCR: 34 Dasara-Bathukamma specials in Telangana

Status: official. South Central Railway is running 34 special services, 17 in each direction, from 9 to 25 October for the Dasara and Bathukamma rush. Train 07711 runs from Secunderabad to Sirpur Kagaznagar and 07712 runs from Sirpur Kagaznagar to Hyderabad. Halts include Kazipet, Peddapalli, Ramagundam and Mancherial (Source: Asianet News Telugu, 9 October 2026).

Telangana's state Bathukamma festivities run from 10 to 18 October, with Saddula Bathukamma at Tank Bund on 18 October (Source: Siasat Daily, 3 October 2026). Note that the return train ends at Hyderabad, not Secunderabad, so check your arrival station when booking. More in our Bathukamma 2026 Hyderabad guide.

SCR: Charlapalli-Sengottai and Charlapalli-Prayagraj

Status: official. South Central Railway added 18 Charlapalli-Sengottai special services (07191/07192), running weekly from 2 October to 28 November. It also added 20 Charlapalli-Prayagraj services (04122/04121), running weekly from 28 September to 1 December. The services are for the Dasara and Diwali festive season (Source: Native Planet, 22 September 2026).

Charlapalli is a separate station from Secunderabad and Hyderabad, so confirm how you will reach it before booking. As both trains are weekly, pick your travel date first and then check whether that day has a run.

How to book and check a festival special

Book only on IRCTC: use the official IRCTC website or app, or a railway reservation counter. Avoid unofficial agents and forwarded booking links.
Search by train number: the numbers on this page are exactly as reported; enter them on IRCTC to see days of operation, timings and class availability.
Check running status on NTES: special trains can be rescheduled. Check NTES on the day of travel.
Watch for extensions: railways often extend or add specials as demand grows; we will update this page when new announcements are reported.
NRIs flying in: if you are landing in Delhi or Hyderabad for the festivals, leave a buffer between your flight and the train, and keep a printed or digital copy of your e-ticket and ID.

Festival dates to plan around

Festival	Date (India, 2026)
Navratri	11 to 19 October
Dussehra / Vijayadashami	Tuesday 20 October
Dhanteras	Friday 6 November
Diwali	Sunday 8 November

Dates are from Drik Panchang. For the full calendars, see October 2026 festivals and November 2026 festivals.

Frequently asked questions

How many festival special trains has Indian Railways announced for 2026?

Swarajya reported on 16 September 2026 that Indian Railways has announced more than 100 festival special trains, counted as 102 services across both directions, for Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath. Zonal railways have since announced further specials on individual routes.

Is there a special train from Ayodhya to Delhi for Diwali 2026?

Yes. The Ayodhya Cantt to Anand Vihar Terminal Special (04213/04214) runs 36 trips between 1 October and 30 November 2026, as reported by The Daily Jagran on 28 September 2026. Check IRCTC for the exact days and timings.

Which special trains are running for Bathukamma and Dasara in Telangana?

South Central Railway is running 34 special services, 17 in each direction, from 9 to 25 October between Secunderabad and Sirpur Kagaznagar (07711) and Sirpur Kagaznagar and Hyderabad (07712), with halts including Kazipet, Peddapalli, Ramagundam and Mancherial (Asianet News Telugu, 9 October 2026).

Where can I check timings and running status of these specials?

Book on the official IRCTC website or app and check live running status on NTES (National Train Enquiry System). Our page lists only the train numbers, routes and run dates reported in the news; timings and fares were not given in those reports.

Are there special trains for Chhath Puja from Delhi and Punjab?

Yes. The Daily Jagran listed the Chandigarh-Patna (04512/04511) and Firozpur Cantt-Patna (04616/04615) specials with 18 and 16 trips respectively, alongside the Varanasi-Delhi and Ayodhya Cantt-Anand Vihar specials, for Diwali and Chhath (28 September 2026).

Will this list be updated?

Yes. News on this page was checked on 9 October 2026, and we will update it as railway zones announce more specials or change existing ones.

Editor's note (9 October 2026)

News checked on 9 October 2026; we will update as announcements change. Train numbers, routes, trip counts and run dates on this page are exactly as reported by the cited sources on the dates given; we have not added timings, fares or stops beyond those reports. Always confirm on IRCTC and NTES before you travel.